August 19, 2005

Justice for beaten up OFWs in Taiwan
Investigate MECO's inaction and inutility in protecting OFWs

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants together with the MIGRANTE Party list - Taiwan Chapter condemn the mauling of four Filipino workers by security guards of the Formosa Plastics company in Mailiao, Yun Lin County and their subsequent dismissal and forced deportation together with 12 others last August 2.

According to reports, the cell phones of the workers were also confiscated and were never returned. We likewise condemn the inutility of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) for not doing anything on their behalf even if a number of Filipinos who witnessed the incident reported this to them. Up to now, MECO is helpless in assisting Filipino workers in said factory who are continually being illegally dismissed and deported back to the Philippines.

The mauling, dismissal and eventual deportation were made to intimidate then get rid of the workers who for two days, in unison with hundreds of Filipinos, refused to report for work. This occurred from July 14 and 15 and was staged to air out their legitimate grievances that include the following:

1. Various illegal deductions totaling NT$8,000 each month.
2. The remaining NT$4,000 that they should receive every month are not even given to them in cash but are instead given as loan whereby they are charged an interest ranging from 10-20%.
3. Their pay slip is in Chinese characters and has no English translation
4. They are subcontracted by Formosa to Samsung and CTCI
5. Their Korean supervisor physically abuses them if they do not understand each other because of language differences.
6. Their accommodations are dirty
7. There is no mess hall and they eat outside sometimes beside the canal
8. They can hardly eat what is served them.

The workers also reported their conditions to MECO, Taichung. Supp osedly, a new agreement hammered out by MECO and their company supposedly to improve their conditions would have been signed by August 5.

The mauling and physical attacks were done to force the workers to sign declarations that they led a strike, allegedly prevented other migrants from reporting for work and that they are withdrawing their complaints against the company and broker. Two of them, namely Gil Lebria and Alfredo Alvarez who refused to sign the waiver in the company compound were further beaten up along the way going to the airport. Alvarez was beaten two more times of which in the second one, five men kicked, punched, and banged his head until he fell unconscious. He together with Lebria had no choice but to sign whatever agreements were handed out to them.

They, together with 14 others, were made to board a Cathay Pacific (CX) flight to Hong Kong. An alert cabin crew noticed their condition and reported this to the pilot. This was eventually reported to the HK Immigration and Police. Upon arrival in HK, they were allowed by the
authorities to stay in the territory to be examined in a public hospital. They then were able to get in touch with APMM, which endorsed them to MSP national.

After the incident, MECO and POEA withheld the processing, imposed recruitment violations and disciplinary action against the four Philippine agencies, and put the four Taiwanese brokers under its watch list. These actions are not enough and it is too late for them to act the heroes

We support Migrante Sectoral Party (MSP) national office's request for Congress to conduct an inquiry on the incident and with them call for the removal of MECO officials concerned for their criminal neglect. We also call for the apprehension and prosecution of those who perpetrated and ordered the mauling and theft of the cell phones of the migrants. We are also calling for an investigation of the labor situation and living conditions of the Filipinos worki ng in Formosa plastics and an end to illegal and unjust practices being practiced in said factory.

The inquiry that MSP national requested must be broadened to include other cases of neglect and questionable policies being implemented by MECO in Taiwan. There are many other problems besetting our nationals working in Taiwan. Most of this is caused by MECO's own inutility and subservience to the Taiwan's government's dictates.

MECO Managing Director Antonio Basilio proudly restated to Filipino organizations and NGO's last Saturday night that it is still under the office
of the Philippine President. Ironically, he has hinted what kind of President we have given the criminal neglect that MECO did vis-¨¤-vis the
Formosa Plastics workers. We can say nothing more.